During my day off this last Tuesday due to my 37th springs walking the phase of this land of God, I laid down on the coach all day long slowly mutating into a skinny starch vegetable. If I wouldn't have had "needs" (i.e. bathroom, munchies, etc) I would have been there all day long growing mushroms around me.

As I knew beforehand about my potatoe-ing activities that would take place on my day off, I went down to BlackDog video to rent some indulgences. About 6 more movies were added to my ongrowing list that day, unfortunately not all of them really leaving some mark in my catalogue. The only ones that standed out apart from Cinmea Paradiso -which we've seen on various occassions before but love to re-suffer- were '10,000 BC' and 'Videodrome'.

'10,000 BC', a recent movie which contained all the special digital effects and ultra high production was, for a change, very nice. A simple story with beautiful photography and some really exciting scenes very well done. I'm not that sure, but I guess the cast there is still into the not-so-well-known actors, giving the movie an extra credit, just as with '300'. Very refreshing to see a story so apart from all the remakes or the tv shows turned movies or the silly-funny-silly movies or all the crap that has been coming out lately as for commercial stuff goes. Oh! and of course, this is just my humble opinion. I'm just a movies fan with a bit of mileage under my hood already and this are just my overall commentaries about what I like and don't like. This one I liked, not to put it on my top shelf maybe, but still quite good and entertaining.

Now, 'Videodrome'. I know who Cronemberg is and what kind of movies he can come up with, so for starters I knew this one was going to be watched it with no Gaby around -she looooves this kind of movies. Also, when I gave the dvd box to the girl at the videoshop she guttured something like 'this is some crazy shit'. Ok, so some shocking movie to indulge with. Nice.

As many of Cronembergs movies, this one contained high doses of physical gooey alterations and hallucinations and bizarre stuff overall. 'Snuff' was a term probably too new or advanced for the time in which it was filmed -sometime around 1981 I think. The story is good, made sense to me for a fiction-horror plot. James Woods is very good and even Debbie Harry is fine there as well. But most of all the things that standed out from it to me were a couple of scenes, very well achieved I'd say. The 2 of them have a tv set traspassing the boundaries of a 'regular performance' for such character. I really liked when Max (James W.) 'immerse' into the bursting screen sized lips of Nicky. That one is a really cool scene. The other is similar but this time the screen stretches out of the tv like pointing forward, changing from static noise to skin-like texture. Very nice.

The movie ends up with a visceral explotion and some kind of suicide-liberation within an uncertain reality. Hmmm, ok, at the very end not that shocking I must say, but still it is crazy shit. From the movies I've seen from him, this could be one of the freakiest, but without a doubt 'Naked Lunch' is THE freakiest of them all. I still have engraved in my brain those scenes in which the insect-typewritter begs for more dope to be introduced into his ...huh... well, that is some crazy shit indeed. By the way, just remembered that SOMEBODY NEVER RETURNED MY COPY!! Hate when that happens! so much music and movies lost that way. Well, not precisely lost 'cause they are still sitting in someone elses shelves, not in mines. Well, hmmm... 'what else? 'Exiztenz' was good from him as well, but I remember hating 'Crash'. Anyway,'Videodrome' is a great movie for cult fans.

ah and sooo glad you took a day off and just immersed yourself on weird films, can't think of a better day to celebrate a b-day!...

and every time i am getting more curious about that 10,000 BC movie, if you like it, but also Gaby liked it, it must be pretty good, i must watch it soon

as for your other selections, wow with the gore mister Al, of David Cronenberg i remember very well The Fly and my favorite, The Dead Zone, i truly admire pale Christopher Walken on that film!! and of course the visuals of The Fly are too sticky to forget!!... I have read Naked Lunch but i have just seen a few scenes of the movie, I do remember the Bug!! but didn't get to see his fiendishness with the drugs... it sounds rather scary!

as for Videodrome i think i will have to get satisfied with this review, i think at my very old 39 i am a little 'susceptible' to too horrorific scenes! i remember being young once and watching without symptoms gory films, not anymore for me!! but i do love the suspense and shrillnesses and of course some good Sci-Fi... also i am sure after such scary views on Tuesday maybe your hair is now whiter?? mister Al, and maybe you look another 37 years older ;) heh heh, but i am very happy you immersed yourself on good films and 'retozar' of lazy happiness